Eve of 1969
by Katsgold
Summary: Graphic depiction of the team's New Year's Eve in a Prisoner of War Camp. This contains heavy anguish, self-sacrifice and descriptions of torture. Violence, Anguish, Non-Con M/M, Injury of Main Characters.


Originally written on my nic: Murdock's Doc in 2001 ^_^

Warnings: Violence, Anguish, Non-Con M/M (Rape), Injury of Main Characters. If you can't handle this type of stuff then stay away.

Summary: Graphic depiction of the team's New Year's Eve in a Prisoner of War Camp. This contains heavy anguish, self-sacrifice and descriptions of torture.

Disclaimer: The A-Team is the property of Stephen J. Cannell and my writing is not to make money or to obtain fame. I write to show my appreciation of a show that is in my opinion, one of the classics in time.

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Miles away, in the crisp morning air on December 31st, joyous crowds of people were gathering in cities such as Paris, London, New York City, Dallas, Los Angeles, and Sydney to celebrate the birth of 1969 at the stroke of midnight as it passed through the time zones.

Excitement was growing as the hour approached for the parties to begin. Warm, soft, and shimmering fabrics lay in wait to be donned for the dancing to gently music that would play for the party guests. Sweet, dry, quenching wines and champagne were chilling in anticipation of the toasts of good fortune for the future that would be voiced all over the world. So much would be forgotten tonight during the throes of celebration in order to think forward for happier time filled with fortune.

New Year's Eve is considered a magical night. What you are doing when the clock strikes midnight on New Years Eve is what you can expect to be doing all the New Year long. With eyes closed, it was easy to imagine being a part of the world that was in preparation for the celebration. But eyes can't stay closed forever, and the reality of being in a Prisoner of War camp could only be kept as bay for so long.

Sobbing and moans of pain caused by movement forced Captain Murdock's eyes open. The moans were his own, caused by the movement of gathering his sobbing friend closer into his arms. "Shhhhh, it's okay Facey." Murdock whispered softly to avoid drawing attention to his sobbing friend. "I'll take care of you, nobody's gonna touch ya tonight."

Someone moved closer, and Murdock knew that it was Hannibal before he spoke. "How's he doing?"

"Bleeding's stopped. His back is raw." Murdock whispered gently into his friend's dirty hair. "Why do they do it Colonel?" The Captain asked in a cracking voice.

Hannibal shook his head. How could he answer a question like that? The theory was one thing but to experience it was another. Humanity had a dark side to it, and during war it was that dark side that reared its ugly face. "Rape is a demonstration of power." He finally answered.

Lieutenant Peck squirmed in a moment of panic as images of the night before came flaring before his eyes. "NO!" Screamed.

Murdock held him tighter and stroked his friend's dirty hair as he would a scared child. "You're with us now, Shhhhh, it's over." Murdock said soothingly while gently placing butterfly kissed on Face's forehead.

Another figure moved closer, and despite the exhaustion and the effects of starvation, the man was still the most imposing of the group. "Suckers are gonna pay Lieutenant. I gonna make sure they pay."

Murdock looked at the faces of the team he could proudly say he was a part of. Each had their strengths and weaknesses, but as a team they were undefeatable. As much as Face was hurting, he would heal and it would be because of the strength surrounding him now. That fact frustrated the guards to no end and their methods of torture had become more intense. But still the team was strong, and they endured.

"BA, I won't let you do anything stupid." Hannibal said firmly, "We need to keep our heads and keep ourselves from getting killed in order to get out."

"Colonels right." Whispered the broken form of Lieutenant Peck. "You make 'em mad and they cut our rations again." Face paused to catch his breath and to fight down the feeling of pain, "Just like they did when I spit in the head guards face."

BA snarled but didn't argue. The pleasure and satisfaction they had all felt after Face had cut loose on the head guard had lasted only until their next meal. "This ain't right." He said sulking. "It just ain't right."

Murdock looked out through the bamboo bars that confined them. BA was right, this wasn't right. Day's passed and the conditions grew worse. Sighing deeply, he noticed that the sun was high above. He could hear the guards were laughing. 'They'll be coming soon.' Murdock thought to himself.

"If you think you can move a little," Murdock said softly to his friend, "I think maybe the Colonel should clean you up a little."

Face sunk deeper into his friend's embrace. "I'm okay." He said weakly.

"Murdock's right Lieutenant, we have to do the best we can to keep you from developing an infection." Hannibal added.

Looking from Murdock to Hannibal, Face finally nodded and submitted himself to Hannibal and BA's ministrations. This was the one thing they had all agree upon. They had promised to do what they could in order to keep their strength and health so they would be able to escape when the opportunity presented itself.

As BA and Hannibal took over, Murdock backed away and settled against the wall of their jail near the door. He forced himself to watch as Hannibal began to tend to open welts on Face's back. 'What you do tonight . . ' Murdock thought to himself, 'expect to do during the New Year . . ' Exhaustion, hunger, and pain from injuries ate into him as Murdock began to worry about the fate of his friends for the New Year. At this moment in time their future looked pretty bleak.

A shiver ran up his spine as the Captain's gaze fell on the closest friend he ever had. 'Face, you'll rest tonight, comforted by friends who are as close as family.' Murdock thought to himself with conviction. 'For 1969 you'll in the presence of friends who love you.'

For an instant a look of satisfaction settled across Murdock's face. It was in his power to see that Face was left behind for the evening interrogations. When Hannibal whispered something to the injured Lieutenant, Murdock's attention was drawn to the gray haired man who was more than a Commanding Officer. He was a father figure who truly cared about his team.

'What can I give you in 1969.' Murdock wondered. The guards never touched the Colonel. They made him suffer through the pain they caused his men. 'I can give you no peace because I know you will suffer, but I can give you satisfaction with the knowledge that of all the men on your team they can't affect me like they affect Face.'

Hannibal looked up and caught the look of determination on his pilot's face. He knew his men, and he could almost read the thoughts passing through the Captains mind. Silent understanding passed between them. Both knew that Face could not endure another night of interrogation. Although there was understanding, it couldn't extinguish the sadness present in Hannibals eyes.

BA caught the glances between the Colonel and the Captain and scowled. It was never good when the crazy fool pilot was silent.

Murdock turned his gaze to the ground. He couldn't face the look of disapproval from the Sergeant. 'You have to understand BA, as much as we would all like to see you pound the guards into a hell like we've been living in, we can't let you. We need your strength when the time comes for us to escape.' Murdock reached up and scrubbed his face with his hands. 'Big Guy, your New Year is gonna be filled with you in one piece, unharmed. I just can't change anything about you being mad all year.'

Closing his eyes, Murdock leaned heavily against the rough bamboo to wait. The voices of the guards were coming closer. 'If what you are doing when the clock strikes midnight on New Years Eve is what you can expect to be doing all the New Year long, then what are you giving yourself?' He wondered to himself.

Long after the sunset, and before Murdock could figure out an answer to his question, the jail door slammed open. Barrels of rifles entered first, a tactic that the residents had grown desensitized too. Seconds after their appearance, the barrels waved around in an attempt to intimidate, and when this had no effect the guard ordering the prisoners to their feet in twangy butchered English. "On feet, stand up!"

As the occupants began to rise, the head guard entered and scanned the prisoners. When his eyes fell on Face, his face filled with a sadistic grin.

Murdock panicked realizing that he had only seconds to act. "Xin Chao Du Mi Ami (Hello Mother Fucker)" He shouted before the guard could order Face to be taken away.

The guard spun towards Murdock so quickly it took everyone by surprise. "TEN! (What!)"

"Du ahn,(Fuck You)" Murdock snorted with a grin. "Ahn Du Mi Ami! (You Mother Fucker!)"

As the head guard turned several shades of red, the other guards looked confused about what they should be doing. The American was directing his insults to their superior, and he seemed too angry to respond to save his honor.

BA, Hannibal and Face glanced at each other, looking as confused as the guards since they had no idea what Murdock was saying. Face began to step forward to stop his friend, but the head guard reacted before any from the A-Team could stop it.

The backhand slap came out of nowhere and sent Murdock flying into the side of the cage, rattling the entire structure. Already weak, it took the pilot a moment to shake off the fog that threatened to consume him. The sound of BA's shouts and the threats being issued by the guards spurred him to push himself harder. Gathering energy from deep inside himself, Murdock began to laugh.

Murdock was still laughing as they dragged him from the bamboo cage. He had to laugh or he'd have to cry. The fear that was turning his empty stomach was comforted only by the knowledge that he had done this for his friends. In a situation were they had no control over what happened to them, he had called the shots. If for only an instant he felt strong.

As they neared the interrogation building in the center of the compound, Murdock's confidence faltered and his laugher stopped with a heavy gulp. He could close his eyes and still know where they were going. The building was never cleaned and the scents of blood, sweat, urine mingled in the heat until it emit a stench that could be identified as fear itself. The newest addition to the cocktail of scents, a heavy musky odor, caused his body to shiver involuntarily and he pulled back against the forward motion.

'They'll beat me till they're bored.' Murdock thought to himself as he was dragged through the doorway into the dark interior. After a few steps inside, the pilot found himself dumped on the moist dirt floor. Dazed by the rough treatment and sickened by the bodily odors rising from the dirt Murdock had difficulty making out the words being shouted over him. He didn't have to understand the words because the actions that followed told him all he needed to know. Rough hands grabbed him and dragged him towards a table. Murdock fought kicking and cursing with all his might. His struggles seemed to excite the guards and they chattered in amusement about the prisoner's sudden change in attitude. Murdock kicked out to the right and managed to make contact with a guard's shin.

A Vietnamese curse echoed in Murdock's head as the second guard took advantage of the prisoner's shift in balance and shoved him roughly against the tabletop. Losing his breath, the pilot continued to struggle ineffectually against the hands tying him down and against the rope that he found suddenly looped around his neck.

"Nothing more to say Captain?" A heavily accented voice questioned from behind him.

Murdock recognized the voice immediately from previous interrogations. "Go to hell Major Chu." The pilot growled out. The Captain of the guard was a devil spawned bastard who interrogated not for the information that could be obtained but for the pain he caused.

The response came down hard against his back. When the split cane lashed out against his back, Murdock jerked against his restraints and bit his lip to keep from crying out. Four more times the cane came down on his back and still he refused to give in.

Frustrated with the lack of response, Major Chu slammed the torture weapon down on the table next to Murdock's head. The pilot looked at the blood soaked cane strips with distracted interest as Chu leaned forward to hiss in his ear, "You will speak Captain, and you will learn to say what I wish to hear."

Murdock strained against his bonds to turn enough to look into Chu's eyes. "You're ugly." He said venomously, "And you smell bad."

Chu grabbed Murdock by the hair and slammed his head roughly against the tabletop. "I could make you wish you were dead." He shouted.

Dazed, Murdock stared at the Major with a smile on his face and an unspoken thought on his mind. 'At least it ain't Face you're talkin to tonight.'

The smile earned the pilot twenty lashes with the already bloodied cane. The whipping should have left the Captain a withering whimpering broken man, but that would have required him to pay attention. As Major Chu stepped away breathing heavily from the exertion of administering the beating he heard a soft whisper of song in a thick Scottish accent.

"Should auld acquaintance be forgot,

"And never brought to min'?

"Should auld acquaintance be forgot,

"And days o' lang syne?"

As Murdock sang he thought of Face, Hannibal and BA. 'I'll never forget you, not now or ever.' He thought as Chu paused the beating. Throwing his heart and soul into the song his voice rose.

"For auld lang syne, my dear,

"For auld lang syne,

"We'll tak a cup o' kindness yet,

"For auld lang syne."

In his mind Murdock visualized himself at a party with the rest of the team, raising a Champaign glass in the future to toast their friendship. 'This is to and for our friendship guys' He imagined himself saying. He continued his song.

"We twa hae run about the braes;

"And pow'w the gowans fine;

"But we've wandered mony a weary foot

"Sin' auld lang syne."

Murdock's eyes watered as he remembered romping though the fields outside DaNang with Face to gather flowers for a couple of nurses they were trying to impress. The pilot raised his voice in song still further as he lost himself in his memory and his imagination that was inspired by the century old song.

"For auld lang syne, my dear,

"For auld lang syne,

"We'll tak a cup o' kindness yet,

"For auld lang syne.

"We twa hae paidl't i' the burn,

"Frae mornin' sun till dine;

"But seas between us braid hae roared

"Sin' auld lang syne."

'We've been through so much, more than most in a lifetime' Murdock thought to himself, 'Apart, together, day or night we are never alone.' His song faltered slightly as reality intruded and he felt his pants being jerked down. "You have power over my body right now Chu, but you can't touch my mind." Murdock growled out as he felt the Major take position behind him. Murdock closed his eyes and threw himself into the song, using its promise of remembered friendship as a barricade from the hatred and the cruelty being forced upon him.

"For auld lang syne, my dear,

"For auld lang syne,

"We'll tak a cup o' kindness yet,

"For auld lang syne."

The searing pain of his body being invaded caused the Captain's voice to waver, sounding more like a cry of distress. Tears flowed from his eyes, and his body tensed and shivered in reaction to the sexual attack. He fought to keep his mind on the song, using it to anchor him to all that was good in life.

The Major was angry and each time he impaled the difficult prisoner he sought to damage. "Scream damn you scream! Let your friends hear the price of arrogance!" Chu hissed between his grunts of pleasure.

"And here's a hand, my trusty fiere,

"And gie's a hand o' thine;

"And we'll tak a right guid willie-waught

"For auld lang syne."

As splinters bit into his chest and his body felt as if it were being split apart, Murdock imagined himself reaching out a hand to his best friend. He felt the warmth of friendship as the Face in his imagination reached out and linked their hands in a firm grasp. "Hang on Murdock, it will pass and I'll hold you as you held me." The imaginary Face promised. "Hannibal, BA and I will be there for you."

"For auld lang syne, my dear,

"For auld lang syne,

"We'll tak a cup o' kindness yet,

"For auld lang syne.

"And surely ye'll be your pint-stoup,

"And surely I'll be mine,

"And we'll tak a cup o' kindness yet,

"For auld lang syne."

"For auld lang syne, my dear,

"For auld lang syne,

"We'll tak a cup o' kindness yet,

"For auld lang syne."

Murdock continued to sing long after the invasion of his body was over. His mind remained detached in song as his body was left exposed as a demonstration of the Major's power. The gesture was lost on the pilot. The humiliation would only be temporary and he would soon return to his friends.

The song of friendship gave him the strength he needed to survive. He lay across the table in oblivion, letting its meaning bury the bad and hateful things that were happening to him in the present. Anything could happen and he could survive as long as he remembered that he had his friends. Over time and distance that friendship would always be there.

In the limbo he held his mind, he remembered the question he had asked himself, 'If what you are doing when the clock strikes midnight on New Years Eve is what you can expect to be doing all the New Year long, then what are you giving yourself?' He had wondered. Until now he hadn't come up with an answer. 'I will be with my friends' He answered himself. 'I will be with my friends for the New Year.'

END


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